Iowa's Roy Devyn Marble - the Big Ten's leading scorer - was held to eight points on 3-of-11 shooting. The struggling Hawkeyes (20-11, 9-9) have lost five of their last six games.

A foul on Iowa's Mike Gesell with 13.8 seconds remaining reset the shot clock and gave Illinois the final shot.

On the final play, Illinois' Tracy Abram dribbled down the final seconds at top of the key. Abram first looked to Rice, but when he was covered the ball kicked out to Ekey.

Ekey drained the 30-foot game-winner over the outstretched arm of 6-foot-9 Aaron White with a half-second on the game clock. Iowa's desperation heave from the baseline was picked off.

"We're playing the best we've played all year on both ends," Illinois coach John Groce said. "You want to have momentum and you want to be playing well."

Ekey, who finished with 12 points, hit another big 3-pointer with 3:03 left to give the Illini a 63-59 lead.

The Hawkeyes misfired on their next few trips. Gesell missed a 3-pointer, Adam Woodbury threw away the ball and White mishandled a pass.

Illinois split the season series with Iowa despite 13 turnovers that led to 23 points for the Hawkeyes. The Illini were coming off a home loss to No. 12 Michigan on Tuesday, but had beaten then No. 18 Michigan State in East Lansing on March 1.

Iowa is 15-4 this season when making at least five 3-pointers.

Marble - the only player in the Big Ten to score in double figures in every game before Saturday - had scored at least 20 points in each of the last five games.

Illinois opened the game with a 20-6 lead after scoring on eight of its first 10 possessions against the Hawkeyes' zone. Then McCaffery shifted to a smaller, quicker lineup and the Hawkeyes turned up the defensive intensity with tight man-to-man pressure.

Illinois went nearly eight minutes without a field goal as Iowa took a 23-21 lead.

"That was as good as defense as we've played," McCaffery said. "But that was the only good defense we played."

Almost all of that first-half spurt came without Marble, who picked up an early second foul and played only nine minutes in the first half.

The Hawkeyes honored seniors Marble, Melsahn Basabe, Zach McCabe and Darius Stokes on the floor before the game.